My chosen horror series: COVEN

I have chosen ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ because I really enjoyed the darkness and unpredictability of the storyline.  I was especially intrigued by the character  of Fiona Goode and her daughter Cordelia, their friendship and most importantly, how powerful they both were. Not only do the characters in the series intrigue me, but the fashion, the makeup and the props used throughout the series are all fabulous. The witches in the series all wear black (naturally) and each character differs. They are all such different people that the possibilities of creating two new characters for the show is never ending..

The series takes place in New Orleans and is set in 2013. It features a few flashbacks to the 1830s, 1910s and 1970s. The main story of the series focuses on finding the Supreme Witch – a witch who embodies specific gifts and magic abilities known as the Seven Wonders. The young witches learn throughout the series how to control their powers and all become talented in various ways.

What makes this series fit the ‘gothic horror’ genre is not only the excessive amount of gore and darkness, but the styling, setting and makeup. The witches all dress very glamorously in black, many of them covered head to toe and wearing hats. Not the stereotype though! The makeup is modern day, every day style, and is never too complex. SFX are used throughout the series, whether someone has lost an arm, has died, or has had their eyes gauged out.

Audience demographics..

         The target audience for ‘Coven’ are mainly aged between 18-49. The series itself differs from the previous two in the way that it mainly only features women. There are only a few male characters and this could affect the amount of male viewers the program has overall. Studies have shown that the most popular viewer for this particular series are teenage girls/girls in their early twenties.

         The series is appealing to this age group of girls because it features several characters that are all very different. The four main young witches would typically fit into all different groups at school if they were to go there; Maddison Montgomery is a spoilt, rich, bratty child movie star and is expectant of everyone to do anything she commands. She is a typical American brat, with her long blonde hair and slender physique. Her opposite, ’Queenie’ is a large black girl with an attitude like steel. In several scenes throughout the series she has flashbacks of her past and you can tell this is what has moulded her into the vicious character she is. Zoe, is a very normal, very polite and kind character but with a fire to her. She is thoughtful and often the voice of reason in the coven. Finally, the last young witch is Nan, a kind hearted girl with downs syndrome who has the ability to read minds. Despite other house members being unpleasant to her she is thoughtful towards everyone and very cunning. These characters alone influence the viewers because every person could relate to at least one of the young witches in the house.

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